Nothing to See Here

I loved this book. I wouldn’t have found it without a recommendation from The Atlantic, which recently featured a segment on “The Great American Novels.” I remember thinking that the premise was absurd, but hey, if the story is good and the characters are interesting, who cares?Of course, Nothing to See Here is more than a story about spontaneously combustible kids. It’s about true love in its various forms, classism, and quirky characters that we can all identify with in some way. And so much more.I read it over a single day because I couldn’t put it down. For me, that’s rare, even for a book this size. Kevin’s writing style grabbed me from page one. So many reviewers have mentioned the sentences and phrases that stand out; one of the professional reviews noted that Nothing to See Here has “mesmerizing and funny sentences and then hits you in a way you didn’t see coming.”I disagree with another earlier reviewer who complained about profanity. I’ve seen a lot more and a lot worse. For me, it wasn’t gratuitous, but rather a natural expression of how some people think and talk. It seemed especially fitting for the narrator or even the children when trying to impress the adults.Some might disagree with me here, but I kept hearing Holden Caulfield’s voice. While Lil isn’t a teen anymore, she seems stuck in her development at a young age, so her disaffected and snarky attitude seemed to fit the Catcher in the Rye hero to a T. I’m inspired to pick up the old classic and give it another turn.So much fun! I can’t wait to read more from Kevin Wilson.

This book is sweet, beautifully written, and relatable, with a touch of weirdness. It's an adorable story. A bit more depth in the characters would have made it an easy five stars.

This odd story is quite an entertaining read. There's not much depth or even plot to the story. It's far from believable and a bit sad and dark at times, wholesome other times. I enjoyed the snarky narrator, Lillian, and the dark humor. But, it wasn't a spectacular book.

There is such great humanity in all of these characters. It’s an extraordinarily original plot and theme. Worth every minute.

A quirky story about two kids who once agitated light on fire; burst into flames. Nothing happens to the kids, they are unharmed when it happens. This book has a gentle pressure that pulls you through the text and keeps you turning the pages. I did not think I would like it but, ended up enjoying it a great deal. Its more about relationships, old and new. How Lilian melds with the two children almost like an Old Yeller kind of story (that’s a bad example but that’s what it felt like). I laughed out loud in several places, the wry sense of humor in situational comedy. I also found it easy to buy into the premise. I think it was because Lilian (the point of view character) didn’t make a big deal about it when it was explained to her, almost like, “Oh, the kids just light on fire.” Since she bought into it so easily (and I already knew her well before this occurred and trusted her judgement) I went along for the ride. It was weird how I dropped into the story and believed it. That wonderful, ever elusive, “Fictive Dream” I’m always on the hunt for is definitely present in this book. I love a story that can evoke this kind of emotion. One bit of criticism, I think the often-overused F-bomb didn’t have a place here. I’m not a prude by any stretch but the book would have had such a stronger impact without it. And it might have had a better chance of becoming a timeless kind of story. This is a four-and-half-star book and I would recommend it.David Putnam

I loved the characters, the storyline. I, in fact, had read this before, and I hardly ever enjoy reading-reading a book, but I did. This was an easy, quick read. Thank you!

Lillian and Madison have been unlikely best friends since school days. After not having heard from Madison for years, Lillian receives a letter from her friend asking for help. Madison needs Lillian to be a nanny to her unusual twin stepchildren. The catch is that the twins spontaneously combust from time to time. Lillian decides to take the job. Afterall, what does she have to lose?This story is better than I expected. The realistic characters guide us through an unrealistic plot, making it seem very real to the reader. The emotions they experience ring true, and so do the lessons they learn. This book is really about love, devotion, and dealing with a handicap. Love does conquer all!

I've had this book for a long time and for some reason I kept putting off reading it and I've been hearing such good things about it I decided it was time to give it a try. I am so happy that I did. This story is so fun and quirky. I could not put this book down, The story is a little out there but it feels so real and it's written in a way that makes you really feel for the children and also Lil, as she tries to figure out how to take care of the kids. I feel a bit of a book hangover after finishing this one. I'm going to be looking for more books by this author to read.

Una historia sin pies ni cabeza, no sé ni como lo pude terminar.

Couldn't put it down, read in 2 sittings! Really good story, witty writing, loved it

This is a great story. Interesting premise and Great characters. The power of being acknowledged loved and safe . Children and adults alike , we all just want to be loved to tame the burst of flames inside us. It is fun, quirky, and easy to read. I loved it.

Have you heard of children who combust into flames when their emotions boil over? US Senator Jasper's and his wife Madison's children do. And to keep it all hush-hush, Madison invites her roommate, Lilian, from her posh private school days to come work as the children's nanny for the summer. Lilian, who leads a financially and emotionally empty life, sees it as an opportunity to push her life in a positive direction.But caring for neglected and scarred 'fire' children is not going to be easy. It is going to make Lilian, see a little bit of herself in them, stop being pushed around and take a stand, for once in her life, and make her desperate to succeed at this.It'll strip bare the layers of Madison and Lilian's relationship to reveal how, when it comes to people we love, we don't see things and people as binary (either good or bad, in black or white, either wrong or right).

Gosto mais da capa (e do conceito do que do romance em si. Um par de gêmeos de 10 anos entra em combustão espontânea toda vez que eles ficam irritados, nervosos ou ansiosos. Nada acontece com eles, ficam apenas vermelhos por alguns minutos, mas o fogo incendeia como qualquer outro. A narradora do romance é a amiga da madrasta deles que é contratada para cuidar do menino e da menina depois que a mãe morre. Narrado por essa mulher sem qualquer rumo na vida, o romance talvez seja uma sátira política (o pai da criança é um senador aspirante à presidência) e certamente social – a diferença de classe entre a protagonista e a amiga da família é uma questão aqui. Mas o autor, Kevin Wilson está muito interessado em ser engraçado em tempo integral, e seu humor não é lá muito engraçado porque é forçado como quase tudo aqui.A parte mais fácil de acreditar, mais bem construída é fantástica, das crianças pegando fogo. O que há de realista é um tanto superficial, especialmente as personagens – nenhuma tem muita profundidade, são mais estereótipos –, e a trama previsível não ajuda muito – é possível perceber onde vai chegar logo no começo (geralmente, isso não é um problema para mim, o que importa é “como se conta”, e não “o que se conta”, mas aqui nenhum dos dois são muito apurados). É um livro divertido, uma leitura rápida e pueril que, inevitavelmente, deverá virar um filme com aspirações a Oscars e afins.